Fantasy/Sci Fi Literature

I need me some recommendations! I love fantasy and sci fi but I'm stuck in a pattern. It was kind of my teenage rebellion the fantasy genre. My parents detest it so for me it was a secret gateway. But now I'm stuck! I love Tolkien, read all his stuff. And Neil the Man mr. Gaiman. I love the A Song of Ice and Fire series, everything by JulesVerne and DavidFosterWallace (not sure if his stuff qualifies, but Infinite Jest is weird). So, I'm stuck in the 90's! I know there are lots of sci fi and fantasy fans here, so please show me the way! Bear in mind, I'm 30. But I'm sure there are younger berries interested in this as well, so forget that and just talk about the ones you love and inspire me please!!!

Ooh, I just spent way too long in my own thread (it took me an hour and a half!! Thanks, by the way, I'm in love with almost every name there) but I'll be back here for sure. I read a ton of fantasy and sci fi. You should check out Robin Hobb. Her Liveship Trader trilogy is one of my favorites. The characters grow and change, they do good and bad stuff, the magic is incredibly unique, plus, pirates and dragons! There's some rapey stuff as a trigger warning if you need trigger warnings. I will say though that the way Robin Hobb deals with the rape and everyone it trickles down to is so f*cking real I have to wonder if she's experienced it herself. She really gets people. I love this series. There are other books in the same world she's written, but they're mostly first person and I prefer third person in fantasy. Everything she does is fab though. Okay, I gotta go.

ShanaAbe - Mostly romance, I know...the bodice-ripping kind, even. But her prose is SO magical. I could read her sentences forever, and all the glitteringly powerful, unearthly beautiful dragons take my breath away.

Isaac Asimov - ...is to sci-fi as J. R. R. Tolkien is to fantasy. The Foundation Trilogy is a staple of the genre.

Marion Zimmer Bradley - one of the ultimate fantasy mavens, who specializes in Arthurian Legend. Although in the interest of full disclosure, I found Mists of Avalon to be surprisingly depressing.

TerryBrooks - I confess I haven't read all of his books, but the one I did read was beautiful and heartbreaking. Part of his Shannara series, I believe.

JimButcher - His Codex Alera series is fabulous, a sort of Romanesque high fantasy with rich characters. The Dresden Files is his urban fantasy series, and HarryDresden is about as bad@ss a wizard as one could possibly get.

JacquelineCarey - Her Terre D'Ange series is very high fantasy, almost historical, with layers of intrigue and a very complex and beautiful religious/political system. Phedre and Muirin are awe-inspiring. Her SantaOlivia series is sort of urban sci-fi, genetic engineering and such, but more relaxed and happy in tone. Trigger warnings: The Kushiel trilogy (part of Terre D'Ange) has some hardcore sadomasochism in parts, especially the third book.

CassandraClare - Her Mortal Instruments series is my ultimate guilty pleasure, YA paranormal romance/angst at its finest. I had zero interest in going to see the movie, but Hubs talked me into it. Then I had to read the first book...and somewhere along the line, I was just absolutely hooked on Jace and Clary. The only time in my life I have bought and read an entire series within the space of a week >_> Dun judge meh...

Elizabeth Kerner - Song in the Silence took me by storm! The other two are fabulous sequels, of course, but the initial story of Akhor and Lanen is what really captured me at first. Here be Dragons...LOTS of Dragons! (Trivia note: Part of our last name came from these books!)

Mercedes Lackey - Another fantasy maven. My favorite collection of hers is the Wizard of London series. Each of those books is super original and fun...I love the different flavors of magic she portrays.

Juliet Marillier - She's AMAZING. Beautiful primarily historical fantasy. Her Sevenwaters series and the Bridei Chronicles are heavily druidic, and her Light Isles series is more shamanic. The Tuatha de Danann feature regularly. Some of her stories are retellings of famous fairytales, like Hearts' Blood (Beauty and the Beast) and Daughter of the Forest (The Six Swans). A masterful storyteller...these are really worth a read!

Anne McCaffrey - Love her or hate her, she's another staple of the genre. I read all her Acorna books before I was even a teenager, and I think they were probably a bit over my head. Dragonriders of Pern is a good series though!

Christopher Paolini - His Inheritance trilogy is unbelievable rich and epic for someone who wrote the first book when he was 17!! Too bad it didn't stay a trilogy though...the fourth book was not my favorite.

Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials is one of my favorite series of all time. Rips in time, daemons, armored bears, fierce and beautiful witches, steampunk technology, parallel worlds, a garden of Eden redo, and one of the best fantasy heroines of all time. Seriously. Read it.

IreneRadford - Another weaver of epic Arthurian legend and druidic amazingness in her Merlin's Descendants series. So far I've only read the first book, but it was so epic that I can't wait to continue (although I was sad that Nimue and Morgaine were so thoroughly bad guys).

AnneRice - Does gothic supernatural horror count as fantasy? If so, AnneRice is queen. So far, my favorite is Pandora!

Patrick Rothfuss - He's only written two books of his Kingkiller Chronicles, but that's because the man takes forever and he does it RIGHT. If you haven't read Name of the Wind, you simply must. The magic system is incredibly original, and Kvothe is one of the most unforgettable characters in the genre.

R. A. Salvatore - Drizzt Do'Urden. Nuff said! Seriously though, these are well worth the read even though there's gobs of them. Regardless of whether you're into the D&D universe, Drizzt is a legendary character.

BrandonSanderson - Husband has been reading me his Mistborn Trilogy, and I am loving it thus far! The Allomancers are a very cool concept.

Patricia C. Wrede - The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Dealing with Dragons was one of my favorite books as a child.

Other random titles I love:
Practical Magic by Alice HoffmanThe Raging Quiet by SherrylJordan - It's YA fiction, but the most influential book in my entire life...I have probably read it 27 times, and every time it's like reading my own story.SisterLightSister Dark by Jane Yolen - Another YA fantasy, but the world building is extraordinary, and you wouldn't know it's YA from reading it
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle Solitaire by Kelley Eskridge - Disturbing and shatteringly brilliant, with breathtakingly vivid characters. I have so much love for this book.
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

urban/contemporaryBayouMoon by Ilona Andrews - this is actually the second in this world, but it's my favorite. Reading the first enhances the reading, but it's not necessary. This is romance, but it's so damn fun. The heroine is kickass. It takes place in this weird section inbetween the magic world and our world.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by LainiTaylor- the first in the series, and only one I've read but this blew me away. The writing is just gorgeous. It's also very weird. It's about a girl raised by "monsters" who collects teeth for them. Yeah.

The Book of Lost Things by JohnConnolly - everyone always compares this to the Neverending Story. Yes, similar concept, but so what. I love it. It feels like a fairy tale, all dark and spooky.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman - HarryPotter for grown ups. I love this man.

The SugarQueen by SarahAddisonAllen- If you read and like Alice Hoffman, she's much like her. Magical realism-ish, more urban fantasy though. The line is blurry.

humorous
The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hine- bubblegum fluff, but it's fun. This is the story of what happened to Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty after their stories ended. He ended up writing a series, all of which I read and loved. Well, some more than others. There were some dark, sad spots that made me angry. A lot of people see the cover and roll their eyes, but the story is much better than the cover'd let you believe.

tradional/high
The Deed of Paksenarrion by ElizabethMoon- ah, a classic! She's a knight in shining armor.
Tigana by GuyGavrielKay- Anything by him, really, this is just one of my favorites.

historical
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray- this is YA I believe, but I'm an equal opportunity reader. I don't care where you'd find it in the bookstore. Libba Bray knows how to tell a story. The first in a trilogy. Girls boarding school.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by SusannaClarke- this is long, and wandering, and totally worth the time it takes to read it.

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist- weird. I should have put it with weird, but technically it's historical I think. Very cool, with spooky bits.

The Native Star by M.K. Hobson- another romance-ish one. This is the old American West meets magic. Pretty neat. A series, but I've only read this one so far.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern- an enchanted circus, ooh la la! This is a love it or hate it. She has an odd writing style. It's like wandering through a circus, with different things to see every chapter.

for younger readers (to be enjoyed with the littles someday <3)
Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
The Changeling Sea by Patricia A. McKillip
The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

retellings
East by Edith Pattou- East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George- another East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead- Arthurian

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean- er... Tam Lin haha (there's also The Perilous Gard by Elizabath Pope for younger readers. I read the crap out of that when I was about 7)

The Child Thief by Brom- I know you don't like a dark Peter Pan, but this may change your mind. Plus he's got beautiful art!

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey- I don't know what this is a retelling of, I've heard some Russian fairy tale, but I'm not sure. It's a sweet, sad little story.

dark/weird
Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman- spooky

Troll by Johanna Sinisalo- yeah, this is weird. Really good though.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson- One of those writers that didn't write enough. I love this. I mean LOVE it. It is so weird. Technically not fantasy at all, but you should read it anyway. It's about a crazy girl, and you'll feel crazy while reading it. Or maybe I'm just crazy, because the crazy girls' head felt like coming home to me. I was right there with her every step of the way.

SCIENCE FICTION

Blood Red Road by Moira Young- post-apocalyptic. Odd style that takes some getting used to, but after a few pages you're in the heroines head and it works. Or it doesn't and you stop reading.

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest- well, anything Priest. This was just the most recent one I read. Steampunk.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler- again, anything Butler. She's incredidble. This was the book where I fell in love with her, so it's the one I'll recommend. Time travel.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer- this is for younger readers, and it feels like it. I stayed up all night to read this one. Only takes a few hours. It's diary entry style and not at all plausible. End of the world by the moon. The desperation as it gets colder and the food starts to run out will have you reaching for the covers and glancing at the pantry. Intense. There are sequals but don't read them. Just stop with this one and you'll be happier. Wish I had.

Luminous and Ominous by Noah K. Mullette-Gillman- hmm this is, well, end of the world by aliens I guess. Perfect for Halloween because this is scary sci fi. SO won't read it because he said I looked to freaked out while reading it.

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna- clones and stuff. I really enjoyed it.

The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge- you also have to read the Summer Queen. This is on another planet. A favorite from my teen years, and still as wonderful today.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi- engineered humans. Touched on a lot of themes the new Battlestar Galactica touched on. Beautiful book.

Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein- well it's Heinlein, what can I say? I've read everything he's done. This is my favorite.

Wool by Hugh Howey- people living underground after the world ends. There's some stuff I didn't like, but overall I enjoyed it.

My Reading List (over 400 books, but here are a few you may like)

Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll
Every Sigh, the End by Jason S. Hornsby
Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Foundling by D.M. Cornish
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg
Mermaid's Song by Alida Van Gores
Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente
Pantomime by Laura Lam
Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Splintered by A.G. Howard
The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
The Wheel of Nuldoid by Russ Woody
The Wood Wife by Terri Windling